


Under the Apple Tree

by Rocofort



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, F/F, Hurt, its gonna be a ride, love4eva
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28017249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rocofort/pseuds/Rocofort
Summary: Everything was perfect.This was paradise. This was Eden.And then Sooyoung found a new name.Things didn't feel like paradise after that.
Relationships: Choi Yerim | Choerry/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip, Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Comments: 13
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> yep, i am starting a new fic while i have three other ongoing ones, your point is???????
> 
> lol why am i like this

Everything was perfect.

This was paradise. This was Eden. 

They learned all sorts of interesting things from the headmaster. They learned about science and nature and math. They learned to dance, to write, to sing.

Even if the headmaster sometimes got angry, or Hyejoo struggled to understand a concept they were being taught, or she was being scolded, even if they were harshly punished, it was perfect. None of that mattered. Not when she had Chaewon to talk to, or Jiwoo to distract her, or Sooyoung to give her advice.

But then, things became… not so perfect. 

It started with Sooyoung. Showing up late with a dirty uniform. Sneaking out, disappearing, not getting work done. Even when she was at class, or studying with them, her head seemed to be in another place. 

“Everyone, I need to talk to you.” Sooyoung said one day, walking into the library where Chaewon, Jiwoo, and Hyejoo were seated, reading the books the headmaster gave them.

The girl’s uniform was ruffled, her shirt not tucked in and her sleeves rolled up.

“What’s up Soo?” Jiwoo asked, eagerly closing her book, beaming at the older girl. 

“From now on, I want you all to call me Yves.” She said, leaning on the table. Sooyoung had such a laid back personality, Hyejoo really idolized her, thinking she was so cool. Everything she did was cool, the way she wore her uniform, the way she danced. Hyejoo wanted to be like her, but the way she was scolded by the headmaster scared her.

“Yves?” Chaewon asked, her voice soft.

“Yeah, Yves. I would really appreciate it if you all called me that from now on. I don’t like the name the headmaster gave me. I want to be my own person, and I have a name that I picked.”

“But, should we call you that in front of the headmaster too? What if she gets mad?” Hyejoo asked, nervous to possibly anger their headmaster.

“Doesn’t matter if she gets mad.” Sooyoung- she supposes Yves now- said, staring out the window at the dense forest outside. 

“W-What do you mean? Of course it matters!” Hyejoo said, shocked at how she could say something so disrespectful.

Yves turned, looking at her with raised eyebrows, “Come on Hyejoo, you don’t always have to be so stuck up about it. Isn’t it tiring to follow them all the time? Don’t you ever wonder if there’s… something more to all this?” She said, putting a hand down on the table in front of Hyejoo, leaning in and invading her space. “You can’t honestly think the academy is all that’s here, right?”

Hyejoo would be lying if she said the oldest wasn’t a little bit intimidating, especially now as she smirked, looking down on her.

“I um…” Hyejoo couldn’t help stuttering, or her blush. “I-”

Yves just started laughing, and Hyejoo felt embarrassed. 

The oldest girl stood up and walked to the door, her back facing the three of them. Instead of leaving, she paused at the doorway for a moment, and turned her head back slightly.

“Hey Jiwoo, would you mind coming here a second?” Yves asked, and then walked out of the room.

“Sure!” the girl grinned, standing up eagerly and skipping after the girl.

In retrospect, this was the exact moment that catalysed everything that started to go wrong.

-

Chaewon laid quietly next to Hyejoo. It was a temperate day, with a small constant breeze gently brushing their skin. They laid down, centimeters apart, in the shade of the apple tree in the courtyard behind the academy.

It was her and Chaewon’s favorite place to meet up. Even though the headmaster always went off on a tangent about apples whenever she could, this tree in particular she was expressly passionate about, they always found it peaceful in it’s shade.

It had been drilled into their skulls to never eat the forbidden fruit of the apple tree. Hyejoo didn’t see the big deal, it was just an apple tree after all, but she would never question the headmaster’s rules.

They laid there in silence, Hyejoo was thinking about Sooyoung, and the question fell from her lips unfiltered.

“So what do you think Yves does when she goes out?” Hyejoo asked, turning to look at Chaewon. Her heart swelled at the sight of the older girl. Sometimes Hyejoo wondered why she felt so much more attached to Chaewon than the others. Why her heart beat faster in her presence.

“Dunno, but I kinda want to go with and find out. Yves seems happier, Jiwoo too.” Chaewon said, staring up at the sky. 

Hyejoo took this in, looking back up at the sky.

“Why, would you go with them if Yves asked?” Chaewon asked.

“I-I don’t know. I’m curious and all but…”

“Too afraid of the headmaster?” Chaewon said, no judgement in her tone.

That was the thing. Chaewon never judged her. Not like Yves.

“Yeah, I guess.”

Hyejoo couldn't tell you, but somehow their hands joined as the laid together, enjoying the breeze, and the sound of rustling leaves.

-

Yves continued to disappear more and more. Whenever Hyejoo talked to her, the girl sometimes blew her off completely, or left her answers short and blunt. Something had changed between them. A rift was formed.

Hyejoo had no idea how to even cross it, but she could feel it in her heart.

Jiwoo started leaving too. Always taking Yves’ hand and following her blindly. Whatever Yves asked, Jiwoo would do, wherever Yves went, Jiwoo would follow, whatever Yves said, Jiwoo would hang on every word.

“Guys guess what?” Jiwoo said, skipping into her and Chaewon’s shared room. The girl beamed at the both of them before sitting on Chaewon’s bed next to her. 

“What’s up?” Chaewon asked, looking up from the book she was reading.

“I decided to change my name like Yves,” Jiwoo said, kicking her legs up and down like a kid, “from now on I’m Chuu.” 

“Chuu? What kind of name is that?” Hyejoo joked with a teasing tone. Jiwoo clearly didn’t pick up that she was joking and her smile dropped from her face. 

“Look Hyejoo, just because you’re jealous doesn’t mean you have to be so hostile all the time.” She said, almost glaring at her from accross the room.

“Hostile? I was just joking, sorry.” Hyejoo said with a snort, Jiwoo just continued to glare at her before Jiwoo started whispering something into Chaewon’s ear. Chaewon nodded and set her book aside. 

Both of them get up, Jiwoo wordlessly leaves the room with Chaewon on her heels, Chaewon pauses for a moment and looks back at Hyejoo.

Unable to say anything, Hyejoo just presses her lips together in a thin line, and Chaewon leaves.

The hurt Hyejoo feels doesn’t settle in right away. What were they doing without her? Her whole life, as long as she could even remember, the four of them did everything together.

When did things change so much?

-

Not knowing what else to do, Hyejoo just went about the next few days as normal. Neither of the three girl’s talked to her anymore. Jiwoo and Sooyoung wouldn’t even look at her, but Chaewon… 

Sometimes Hyejoo could feel the smaller girl’s eyes on her, but whenever she tried to make eye contact Chaewon would turn away, a blank expression on her face.

Chaewon probably broke her heart the most.

Her best friends. Her family. They all hated her. And Hyejoo couldn’t figure out why.

-

One day, Hyejoo was feeling more restless than usual. Her mind wouldn’t allow itself to rest, and it was affecting her studying. She saw Yves leading Chaewon and Chuu out towards the forest earlier. Even from the windowsill where Hyejoo sat, she could tell how happy the three of them were. 

Happy without her.

She wandered around more, coming across a shut door with laughs coming from the other side. Curious, Hyejoo pressed her ear against the door trying to listen.

It was unmistakably Jiwoo’s laugh. 

“That was so amazing Yves! We have to go again soon!” The girl said, her loud voice clear even behind the door.

“You know guys, I’ve been thinking…” Yves said. There was some shuffling around the room before she spoke again. “What if we left, and left for good? I mean, you saw how much better it is out there. Imagine if we actually got to live that instead of just watching? Seriously, what’s really keeping us here?”

“I actually like the sound of that! If you go I go!” Jiwoo said.

There was a pause, before Chaewon spoke up.

“What about Hyejoo?” 

A small smile crept on her face. Maybe Chaewon did care after all.

“I would tell her, but you know how stuck up she can be. What if she tells the headmaster? We’d never be able to leave again.”

Another pause.

“Okay, I’ll come too.” Was all Hyejoo heard before she ran out, tears welling in her eyes. 

She felt dizzy and sick to her stomach, bile rising in throat. She ran through the halls, not realising where she was going. Her body just kept moving as she ran outside into the courtyard.

Her body collapsed, hidden behind the apple tree for hours. Her tree. Chaewon’s tree. It didn’t feel like a special place anymore. 

No one heard her cries.

-

Pulling herself together, Hyejoo stood up from the tree she sat against. Her face felt swollen from crying, and she still felt sick. 

How could they just leave her? What did she ever do wrong? Was there something wrong with her? 

Hyejoo could only blame herself. Even Chaewon, the girl who Hyejoo would do anything for, left her. 

Slowly, she made her way back into the academy, hoping desperately no one was in her path. As she got inside, her pace quickened as she headed to her room. All Hyejoo wanted was to flop on her bed and sleep this nightmare away.

Unfortunately, she ran into Chaewon, who was walking towards her. Hyejoo froze, afraid she would start crying again if Chaewon so much as looked at her.

But, Chaewon didn’t look at her. The girl kept her chin up as she strutted forward. She walked past her in the hallway as if they were complete strangers.

As if they haven’t cried to each other at night after a particularly harsh punishment from the headmaster. As if they hadn’t spilled out their insecurities to each other, hidden under the blankets of Chaewon’s bed. As if the years of jokes and learning together meant nothing.

Her sadness and pain was replaced with anger. So much anger Hyejoo snarled. She fucking _snarled_.

“Yah Chaewon!” Hyejoo said, turning around and chasing after her. She needed answers. Now.

Chaewon stopped and turned, her indifferent expression morphed into shock at how angry Hyjoo looked. The younger girl stepped right up to Chaewon until they were centimeters apart, Hyejoo glaring downward at Chaewon, who stepped back nervously. Her eyes flashed with anger as her breathing became more sporadic and quick.

“W-what’s gotten into you?” She asked, her voice quivering.

“What’s gotten into me?” Hyejoo couldn’t believe it. She started laughing, and Chaewon looked even more off put by her sudden laughs.

“It’s funny you ask that Chae, because I would love to know what’s wrong with me too. Do you think I’m fucking blind? You think I can’t see you guys leaving me every day? You think I don’t have feelings?” She yelled, not caring if the headmaster heard, not caring if anyone heard. 

“Please stop Hyejoo I-” Chaewon started, tears welling in her eyes, but Hyejoo was so blinded by rage she pushed on. Chaewon stepped back until she was pressed up against a wall, Hyejoo punched the wall behind her in anger. Not feeling the pain shoot up her wrist and arm.

“So what is Chae? Am I not good enough anymore? Come on _Princess_ , I’d love to know what’s so bad about me you’re gonna-”

Suddenly, Hyejoo heard running behind her and turned to see Yves and Chuu running up to them. Yves was glowering with anger. 

“That’s enough Hyejoo, stop yelling at her.” The girl said as she grabbed her and pulled her back. Hyejoo stumbled but regained her footing, ready to throw a punch at Yves.

“Can’t you see you’re making her cry?” Jiwoo said, as they got in between her and Chaewon. “What is wrong with you? You jerk!” Jiwoo shouted as she hugged Chaewon.

Yves stretched out her arms, blocking Hyejoo as she stepped forward, trying to get to Chaewon.

Suddenly she realized, this wasn’t her family anymore. These were strangers to her, they didn’t care about her feelings.

Hyejoo’s voice got small, almost babylike.

“You guys r-really don’t get it, do you?” She asked, looking down at her feet, feeling her body cave in on itself.

“Come on guys, let’s go.” Yves said, turning and walking away. Jiwoo turned and followed, guiding Chaewon with her.

“Chaewon, you’re really gonna leave me?” The question was so weighted, so heavy, she felt herself on the verge of collapse.

Chaewon turned, her brown eyes cold, “My name is Go Won.”

And then they walked away.

-

The next day they had an examination, one that the headmaster was going to oversee. The four of them stood in a line, the tension between them so potent it felt tangible, as if you could reach out and touch it.

Hyejoo didn’t sleep.

She cried most of the night, unable to handle the only important people in her miserable life abandoning her.

This didn’t feel like Eden. This didn’t feel like paradise.

They got through their exam, and surprisingly the headmaster gave them a short applause in praise of their efforts. Normally, Hyejoo would have been happy. Now she just felt empty.

The headmaster gave them the rest of the day, and Hyejoo made a beeline for the balcony. She rushed up the stairs hoping the fresh air would clear her head. She couldn’t breath. It was suffocating, the tension replacing the air in her lungs. Why couldn’t they fix this? Why couldn’t they tell her what she did wrong?

Why didn’t they care?

-

The balcony was a safe place for Hyejoo. No one really went up there anymore, and it always felt peaceful to get such a stunning view of the forest and outskirts of the academy.

Easing her body down, she sat on the floor and stared up at the sky, wondering what she had done to deserve this. 

Losing track of time, she allowed her mind to wander, staring at the clouds slowly passing by. A bird caught her attention, flying directly above her in circles a few times. A white feather from it’s wings drifted down and landed near her feet, she sat up examining the feather. The bird circled a few more times before flying away towards the forest.

Hyejoo watched as it flew towards the forest. Standing up, she watched until it disappeared from sight completely. Letting out a sigh, she decided to head back in, and was about to turn and leave when she saw some motion below her.

There, running into the woods, was Yves, Chuu, and Go Won. Sooyoung, Jiwoo, and Chaewon.

That familiar feeling of collapsing came over her, and Hyejoo leaned her hands on the rails to steady herself. Her gut was telling her this would probably be the last time she would ever see them again.

Hyejoo had so many things she wanted to say. She wanted to apologize for whatever she did to make them leave her. She wanted to apologize for yelling at Chaewon. She wanted them to take her with them.

She wanted her family back.

Yet, they continued running away. Hyejoo gasped when she saw Chaewon stop, and turn back. They made eye contact, and pain flooded into her heart. The rift in heart finally broke as Chaewon turned and continued running. They all seemed carefree and happy. 

Hyejoo wondered what they did in the forest, where they went, what they saw. What was worth ripping their family from Hyejoo’s hands?

Hyejoo could do nothing but watch as they vanished into the forest. 

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 2, and its a longer one :)
> 
> I will say i took some artistic liberties with this one, so if the timeline gets a little confusing just bear with me and enjoy the ride :3

Hyejoo was frozen, stuck on the balcony. The three older girl’s were long gone, having vanished into the forest almost an hour ago, but Hyejoo was still here, watching. She glanced at the white feather still in her hands, and something came over her.

That bird…

Hyejoo slowly descended the stairs, walking the hallways towards the back of the academy. As she walked through the halls, Hyejoo saw the headmaster, opening different rooms and peeking inside, clearly looking for something. 

Or someone.

Panicked, Hyejoo walked quicker, hoping to pass by the headmaster wordlessly. She was not in a good state of mind and was so afraid of talking to the headmaster in the state she was in.

“Ah, Hyejoo, there you are. Do you have a minute?” 

Hyejoo knew better than to treat that as a question. It was an order. Hyejoo simply nodded and stopped in her tracks, looking down at her feet.

“Do you know where the other three are?”

“No ma’am.” Hyejoo lied, shocking herself. One, she never lied to the headmaster, ever. Two, why was she even covering for them? What did they do to deserve that? Hyejoo had an excellent opportunity to get back at them, to lash out in anger, but for some reason, she didn’t.

She was such an idiot.

The headmaster didn’t say anything, walking past. Hyejoo checked behind to make sure she was gone before running out to the back. She walked through the courtyard and broke out into a sprint, making her way to the forest, in the same direction the others went.

Soon, dense forest surrounded her, and Hyejoo could feel the loneliness seeping in. Where did they go? There was nothing here, no sign of anyone. Hyejoo wandered around the forest, and was only met with trees and bush, not a living thing in sight. It was so agonizingly quiet, there were no birds chirping, everything was still. The leaves didn’t rustle together, it was empty. 

Noticing that it was getting dark, Hyejoo made her way back, defeat in her slumped shoulders.

She really would never see them again.

Seeing the clearing with the academy made tears well up in her eyes. How would she do this alone? All the struggles that came with life in the academy were bearable because she had Yves and Chuu and Gowon. Hyejoo wasn’t strong enough to do it alone.

Tears blurred her vision as she walked back through the courtyard. She passed the apple tree, and paused to stare up it’s branches, growing even more saddened at the sight of it.

It only reminded her of the time her and Gowon used to spend together. 

Hyejoo almost left, but then she noticed something strange through her tears. Wiping her tears and clearing her vision, Hyejoo stared at the base of the tree. There on the ground, were three apples, each with a single chunk bitten out of them.

So they ate the forbidden fruit before leaving? 

Hyejoo stared at the apples for a few more moments. What did they gain from eating them? Why was it forbidden? Hyejoo didn’t understand, but archived this knowledge for some other time.

Continuing back to the academy, Hyejoo headed back to her room. Her uniform was messy from her trek in the woods, and Hyejoo numbly removed it, putting on her sleep wear, intending to deal with the dirty uniform later.

Collapsing on her side, all she could do was stare at the empty bed across the room, neatly made like Chaewon did every morning. 

Hyejoo always wondered why she always bothered to make her bed without fail, every morning.

  
  


_ “I still don’t get it, why go through the trouble if you're just gonna mess it up in the evening?” Hyejoo asked, kicking her feet as she sat at the foot of her own bed. _

_ Chaewon smoothed out the sheets before turning to face her with a smile. _

_ “I like it like that. Plus, getting into a made bed is so much nicer than a messy one.”  _

_ Hyejoo shrugged and got up as Chaewon moved towards her bed. Chaewon also insisted on symmetry, meaning Hyejoo’s bed had to be made as well.  _

_ Together, they arranged the pillows neatly, Hyejoo moving to the other side of the bed. They both grabbed the sheets and lifted them up, draping them neatly over the pillows. Chaewon worked out creases with her hands, and Hyejoo smiled to herself, seeing the older girl with a satisfied look on her face. _

_ “I still don’t get why you make our beds every morning, but I like doing it with you.” Hyejoo said, absentmindedly as they left their room to get breakfast. _

_ “I like it too.” _

  
  


Thinking back to the memory almost made Hyejoo cry again, but she forced the tears back. Being honest with herself, Hyejoo was sick of crying. Even though she didn’t really know how to deal with her pain alone, crying was something she never wanted to do again.

So she laid there, wallowing in memories of her and  _ Chaewon,  _ before she became Gowon.

-

_ A white dove flew overhead as Hyejoo walked. It was dark all around her, the only thing she could clearly see was the bird, flying ahead of her. Hyejoo picked up her pace, following the bird. Another bird flew in to join it. As Hyejoo ran faster, she noticed this one was an owl.  _

_ Running with everything she had, sprinting after the birds as they twisted the path to the right or left, Hyejoo couldn't take her eyes off of them, _

_ Because she was looking up at the sky as she ran, she didn’t notice the cliff ahead, and ran right off of it. _

_ The birds vanished, and Hyejoo felt weightless as she fell, the darkness crept in, and Hyejoo couldn’t see the cliff above her or where she would land. _

_ After falling for a few seconds, Hyejoo realized there was no air rushing past her, she wasn’t falling, she was just… weightless.  _

_ After making this realization, Hyejoo saw water below her. Panicking, there was little she could do as she fell in, her eyes squeezing shut as she felt herself sinking into the blue depths. Initially, the waters were frigid, making her panic. Flailing helplessly, no matter her efforts, Hyejoo continued sinking. Giving into the pull, her body allowed itself to sink further into it’s frigid depths. _

_ Closing her eyes, she gave in. After moments of darkness, there was a sudden warmth, and Hyejoo stopped sinking.  _

_ Once again, she was weightless, feeling the air move in and out of lungs, even though she was submerged underwater. Rays of light met her eyes as she gingerly opened them. Turning a full circle, there was nothing but water around her still.  _

_ The warmth intensified and something started swimming at her from the edges of darkness. A blue betta fish swam around her, circling a few times before heading up. Or was that down? Completely disoriented, but suddenly able to follow the fish, she swam behind it. Following it until there was a flash of light, and she was in a strange clearing. A building, overgrown with foliage and vines, stood before her. Forest surrounded the clearing, and Hyejoo made her way towards the building’s dark entrance. Even though it was night time, Hyejoo had no trouble seeing inside, and instantly spotted the fruit bat, hanging upside on the ceiling, in the center of the room. _

_ Hyejoo made no move towards the animal, but saw something else in the room. A red fruit, an apple maybe, lay on the floor, off to the right. Looking closer, Hyejoo realized it wasn’t an apple, but a blood plum. The bat unfurled its wings, flying around her once and then landing directly next to the plum, as if tempting her. _

_ Hyejoo stepped forward until she was directly in front of the bat and the plum. Without thinking, Hyejoo bent down and picked up the plum, examining it, slightly nervous. _

_ The bat took flight again, it’s job seemingly finished. Hyejoo brought it to her mouth and… _

  
  
  


Hyejoo gasped, sitting up from her bed sheets, being pulled from her dream. Familiarizing herself with the room she was in, slowly the fogginess of sleep dissipated. 

Never had she ever had such a vivid dream, it felt surreal, almost prophetic. The white bird, Hyejoo recalled the bird, heading in the same directions Yves, Chuu and Gowon did. All those animal guides, it meant something, Hyejoo just didn’t know what.

Feeling herself getting a headache, Hyejoo got up, pausing to stare at her dirty uniform on the ground where she left it yesterday. 

Not giving herself any more time to mull over the dream, she lazily put on a spare uniform, not taking the time she usually did to tuck in properly or straighten her collar. Hyejoo was well aware her hair was probably a mess, but she couldn't find it in herself to care about hygiene.

_ Chaewon _ always enjoyed brushing her long dark hair in the mornings.

Grabbing the dirty uniform, Hyejoo tiptoed out of her room. Looking out the windows as she walked, Hyejoo noted the sun rise, bright colors dancing on the horizon. How could the world still spin when it felt like Hyejoo’s had ended?

Intending on hiding her uniform from the headmaster outside, she walked to the back entrance, noting the uncanny silence in the academy. Usually there was some noise, but it was silent, unnervingly so.

Just as Hyejoo was about to open the door to go outside, Hyejoo heard the telltale clack of the headmaster’s shoes on the wooden floor. Hyejoo hid her uniform rather unceremoniously behind a curtain, the bulge it created painfully obvious. Pressed for time, she couldn’t think of a spot much better and casually stood as far away from it as possible as the headmaster briskly entered the room.

“Ah, there you are.” The headmaster said, walking up to her, clipboard in one hand, and cupping something in the other hand.

Fearing she was mad, Hyejoo looked down at her feet, practically a nervous wreck.

“I’m sure you know by now, but the others have defied me and escaped.” The headmaster said, voice unnervingly calm. Hyejoo realized the headmaster wasn’t mad and looked up, which was a mistake as soon as she met the headmaster’s eyes.

Nothing in the older woman’s demeanor gave away she was angry but her eyes. She was seething, the anger in her eyes flaring.

Hyejoo’s eyes widened and she lowered them immediately, waiting for the headmaster to continue speaking.

“More will replace them soon, but until then, I’m going to need you to put this on, dear.” The headmaster lifted up her hand, opening her fist to reveal a small black strip of… something, connected by a silver ring.

“Turn around and lift up your hair.” She commanded. Hyejoo did as she was told, hearing the headmaster’s footsteps as she approached. 

The headmaster wrapped it snuggly around her neck and mumbled a few words Hyejoo couldn’t make out, and the black strip was secured. It was too tight, and Hyejoo tugged at it to loosen it, but only got tighter. It was painful.

“Don’t touch it. I know you want to follow them, even after they left you here. All alone.” The headmaster whispered, directly in her ear. Hyejoo stiffened, fear coursing through her veins “even though they hate you, even though they will never love you, you still want to run to them. Do you really think they would accept  _ you _ ? You will never leave with this on.” The headmaster said, tugging at it slightly with a chuckle, causing Hyejoo to gasp out in pain. 

The headmaster walked out, a smirk on her face. Ignoring the headmaster’s words. Hyejoo opened the door and stepped outside. As soon as she did, her knees gave out and she collapsed, air no longer being able to come in and out. The pain was so excruciating she threw herself back inside. Gasping for air, she tugged at the collar one last time, feeling it coil around her neck painfully.

Hyejoo gave up.

-

Time passed so slowly from then on. 

Hyejoo didn’t make her bed anymore. 

She couldn’t brush her teeth. Couldn’t wash her hair. 

Couldn’t do anything. 

Most of her time she spent on the balcony, which by some miracle she could still go out on.

The white dove would fly by occasionally, always leaving in the same direction. 

The headmaster made her dance everyday, over and over until she collapsed. Doing it all alone, completely under the scrutiny of another person was so hard, it made Hyejoo hate dancing. She truly used to love it, especially when she did it with the other girls, but now Hyejoo despised it. 

One move out place, and the headmaster made her completely start over. If she made the same mistake twice… Hyejoo didn’t want to think about it.

Recently, the headmaster went on about possible new arrivals. 

Hyejoo wondered what the point of this all was. What was she really here to do? Why was she being taught to sing and dance? Where did she go after this?

Every night, she mulled over the headmaster’s words. Even if the girl’s hated Hyejoo, she wanted to go where they went. She didn’t want to be here anymore. 

Her dreams also stayed consistently strange. Images of three moons, and standing underneath them three girls. But, even though their backs faced Hyejoo, she knew it wasn’t  _ her  _ girl’s. Two of them had blonde hair. Images of claw machines, a wolf, white feathers covering a bed, a massive diving board.

None of it made sense, and she always awoke in the same cold sweat, constantly mulling over the images that flashed behind her eyes, vivid in her memory.

Some dreams would be complete darkness, with sweet voices whispering around her.

‘We’re coming,’ They said, ‘soon you will be free.’ They promised, telling her to be patient.

Hyejoo didn’t know what it meant, but she kept the dreams to herself.

-

One day, Hyejoo laid on the balcony after a particularly painful day of practice. She stared up at the sky, completely devoid of clouds. 

She hadn’t seen the dove in a while. Hyejoo hoped it was okay.

She almost fell asleep when she heard the honking of a bird above her, and opened her eyes to see an… owl? 

It was really close, only a few meters above where Hyejoo lay, and it had something in its talons. Hyejoo stood up and it dropped whatever was in its talons.

Instinctively, Hyejoo reached out and caught it.

An apple?

The owl landed on the railing nearby, watching her, its large eyes staring into her.

Weren’t owls nocturnal?

Hyejoo examined the apple, seeing no claw marks on its surface. Clearly this was no ordinary owl.

Then, a bat flew up the side of the building and landed next to the owl, both creatures watching her. It was just like in her dreams… the owl, the bat. 

They came.

They came for  _ her. _

Hyejoo confidently lifted the apple to her mouth, and took a bite.

-

Instantly she could feel herself begin to lose consciousness and her body fell backwards. Expecting to land on the hard stone of the balcony, she braced for impact, but it never came. Her body kept falling. Pain shot through body, her neck especially. 

Her vision blackened for a few moments, and when Hyejoo regained consciousness, she still was falling. Shifting her body, she saw a vast expanse of water below her as she fell from the clouds. A land mass could be made out in the distance, and it’s shores glistened with the reflection of sun off of tall structures.

What was this place?

Tears welled in her eyes as air sped past her. Soon she could make out more detail in the water below her as she fell, getting closer and closer to the surface. Spots clouded her vision, the speed she was falling at dizzying.

Trying to control her flailing body, and trying to protect herself as best as she could, Hyejoo expecting to die on impact.

But she definitely wasn’t dead as she crashed into the water, the cold seeping in, just as she dreamed.

This time however, she choked as water seeped into her lungs.

She was drowning.

Flailing her arms, kicking her feet desperately, she tried everything to reach the surface, but something was pulling her under. Hyejoo felt tempted to give in as she did in her dreams, seeing the light on the surface grow darker as she sank made her desperate. 

Then, the blue betta she saw in her dreams appeared. Hyejoo reached out, trying desperately to save herself. As soon as her skin touched the fish, a bright flash of light blinded her vision and Hyejoo felt the cold disappear. 

A voice softly spoke, sounding like it was all around her.

_ “Your fall to Earth is over… wake up,” _ the voice whispered, echoing in her mind.

When the bright light faded, her eyes slowly adjusted and she was in a building, at the bottom of a tall staircase.

For a few moments she kneeled on the ground, coughing up salt water painfully from her lungs.

Was this all a dream? It couldn’t be, not if she was aware of it, right? There was a possibility she was lucid, but the shivering of her wet body, clothes uncomfortably clinging to her skin told her this was no dream. Hyejoo sighed, brushing dripping strands of hair out of her face as she began climbing the stairs. The collar on her neck choked her uncomfortably, and its pressure was constant.

It’s presence worried Hyejoo, and she had no idea how to get it off.

Hugging herself for warmth, she continued climbing the stairs, stopping midway and taking off her uniform jacket, which was weighed down by water. 

It was hard to process how moments ago she was drowning, on the brink of death. Her breaths were still labored, unable to get sufficient oxygen into her partially closed airway. Walking up the stairs, she paced herself slowly to not exert her body too much.

After walking up the stairs for maybe ten minutes, she finally reached the top, which had a large door at the top. Her clothes were still soaked, but the ends of her hair began to dry. 

Hyejoo opened the door, nervous at what could possibly be at the other side, and found herself on a crowded street. Dozens of people walked by briskly, cars driving on the roads, Hyejoo had never seen so many people before. All these things she had seen in books, but seeing the real thing overwhelmed her.

Wandering aimlessly, the wind picked up, tussling her cold body. All the people walked past her, not sparing her a glance. She stopped in the middle of the street, unsure of where to go. The people walking stepped around her, creating a bubble where she stood.

That familiar urge to cry teased the back of her eyes, and Hyejoo almost did, but a voice interrupted her. How was it possible to be surrounded by so many people yet feel so alone?

“Looks like we finally found you,” 

That voice, she heard it in her dreams. How…

Hyejoo turned to see a girl, slightly taller with platinum blonde hair, staring at her, a small grin on her lips. She was wearing an eyepatch, covering her left eye, and it looked like she had some sort of school uniform, with a white button up and blue skirt. Very different from Hyejoo’s uniform.

“W-who are you?” Hyejoo asked, eyeing the mysterious girl in confusion.

“My name is Jinsol, but you might have met me as…” the girl paused, scratching her brow as if thinking of the right words, “something else. Look, I’ll explain everything to you later, right now we need to get you warmed up before you get sick. Come with me.” Jinsol said, extending a hand for Hyejoo to take.

The dark haired girl hesitated, wondering what Jinsol’s intentions were.

As if sensing her nervousness, Jinsol’s expression softened.

“That blue betta you saw,” Hyejoo’s eyes widened. How did she-

“That was me.”

-

Hyejoo sat, eyeing the two girl’s in front of her. Shortly after deciding to follow Jinsol, they met up with another girl who introduced herself as Junguen. The girl was also blonde, and wore the same clothes as Jinsol, the exception being her skirt was red.

They took her to their apartment, giving Hyejoo the opportunity to take a warm shower, and here she was, wearing oversized clothes, wrapped up in a warm blanket.

“So, are you gonna explain to me how you’re a fish?” Hyejoo asked bluntly as Jinsol set three mugs down on the table where they sat.

Junguen let out a loud cackle, catching Hyejoo by surprise. She was loud for someone so… small.

“We’ll explain everything. It’s best to start from the beginning.”Jinsol said, sitting down next to Junguen. Hyejoo noticed the way Junguen subtly grabbed the girl’s hand, interlacing their fingers.

“We have a mission we traveled to this world to complete. There’s three of us, Yerim, who isn’t here, is looking for the others from Eden as we speak.” Jinsol explained, pausing to take a sip from her mug. “We were all supposed to go to look together, but things got complicated when Yves decided to…” Jinsol trailed off, looking to Junguen. The latter sighed and met Hyejoo’s eyes with an apologetic look on her face.

“We worked through Yves, guiding her at night by her dreams to get all of you to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so you’d be able to escape Eden. But, for some reason, they didn’t take you with as we instructed. So we had to intervene in a more direct way, and came to you in dreams as well,” Junguen said, sympathy in her eyes, “I’m the owl you saw, by the way.”

Junguen’s words reignited the pain Hyejoo so desperately wanted to ignore and move past, but they also explained some things.

“So I’m guessing the bat is the third one of you.”

Jinsol nodded, “That’d be Yerim.” 

There was a short pause, allowing Hyejoo to absorb all this information. She had a lot of questions.

“So, why did you free us? How do your powers even work?” 

“Our power’s are all held in our eyes.” Jinsol said, removing her eyepatch. Her eye was glowing, a beautiful blue crescent on her iris. Junguen closed her eyes for a moment, taking a few deep breaths before opening them, revealing a similar crescent under her left iris as well, this one shining red.

“Junguen can control hers at will,” Jinsol said, blushing slightly, “I haven’t quite mastered it so I wear an eyepatch.”

“As for your other question…” Junguen looked at Jinsol, and they seemed to be having a silent conversation. 

“We have to gather all eleven of us to stop someone.” Jinsol said, after their little argument ended. 

“Speaking of which, I think I’m gonna go check if Yerim is having any luck.” Jinsol said, untangling her hand from Junguen’s and standing up.

“Wait what do you mean eleven of us? Who else is there?” Hyejoo asked, more confused than before.

“Junguen will answer any more questions you have, I gotta go real quick.” Jinsol’s eye glowed brighter and she lifted her hands, covering her eyes. In a blink, she was gone.

Hyejoo stared in shock where Jinsol was standing a moment ago. All she did was blink and the blonde disappeared.

Junguen was watching her with a slightly amused look on her face. 

“So, Jinsol and Yerim are gonna bring Yves, Chuu, and Gowon back here?” Hyejoo asked, doing her best to hide the growing dread in her chest.

“Yeah, then we’ll set off to find the girls from Earth.”

With Hyejoo’s previous trepidation confirmed, she started thinking of how to get as far from this place as possible. She didn’t intend on being her for their return. Jinsol and Junguen seemed nice, but they weren’t nearly enough to make her live through seeing  _ them  _ again.

Hyejoo began plotting her escape when Junguen broke the silence.

“That choker looks uncomfortable, did you shower with it on?” Junguen asked, eyes darting to her neck.

Instinctively she reached up to her neck, letting out a sigh. “I can’t take it off. It’s sealed on.” Hyejoo said, hand hovering over the collar. “The headmaster put it on so I couldn’t leave the building.” 

“I see, and it’s causing you pain? Your skin around it is red.”

“Yeah, it makes it hard to breath sometimes, but as long as I don’t touch it, it should be fine.”

It was silent again, and Hyejoo took note of the darkness settling outside. 

“Look, it’s been a long day for me, do you have a place where I could sleep?” Hyejoo asked, not totally lying. She did have a pretty rough day after all.

“Yeah there’s only two bedrooms, I would let you take Yerim’s but she may be back soon so you can take the couch, if that’s alright with you.” 

“That’s fine by me,” pausing when she realized Junguen and Jinsol roomed together, “so are you and Jinsol together or something?” Hyejoo asked.

The blonde blushed at the question, stuttering slightly. 

“Y-you think I would date that nerd? No way!”

“Mhm, your secret is safe with me.”

“What! I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Junguen said, standing up, her ears bright red.

“I don’t know you all that well but you guys look cute together.” Hyejoo said cheekily, unsure of where her confidence came from.

“Ugh I already get enough crap from Yerim, let’s just get you some blankets so you can sleep.” Jungeun said, walking to a closet and pulling out a blanket.

Wordlessly Junguen handed it Hyejoo.

“Goodnight,” Hyejoo said.

Junguen smiled in reply and disappeared into a room down the hall. Hyejoo walked to the living room, making herself comfortable on the couch. She had absolutely no intention of staying much longer, but she wanted to give herself as much of a head start as she could, which meant leaving when Junguen fell asleep. If they went to such lengths to free her from Eden, they would probably try to find her once they realized she was gone.

She waited about fifteen minutes before she got up from the couch. Having no possessions but the borrowed clothes on her back, Hyejoo slipped out the door.

-

The night air was so cold Hyejoo almost turned back inside to seek warmth. Almost. But then she thought of Gowon’s tear streaked face, Hyejoo’s own doing, and her mind was made up. 

There was no way she could ever face  _ them  _ again.

So she stepped past the gate onto the sidewalk, and broke out into a run. The streets were way less crowded than during the day, but cars still drove on the roads. She ran, turning in random directions, getting herself lost in the grand city. Buildings towered above her, and Hyejoo stared at this strange world around her in wonder. 

She found herself crossing a bridge, and her stomach rumbled. When was the last time she ate? 

On the bridge, she passed a woman in a green jacket, and Hyejoo could have sworn she had seen her somewhere before. Maybe a dream? But, she kept walking, not bothering to think about it too hard, focusing more on satisfying her growing hunger.

There were many cafes open this late, but Hyejoo knew from reading she needed money to buy food, and Hyejoo didn’t have any. Maybe it would have been smarter to have eaten before ditching Junguen and Jinsol.

Taking quick stock of the situation, Hyejoo concluded that she was freezing, penniless, alone, and lost in a big city she had no idea of how to navigate. 

Maybe things truly were better off for her in Eden.

This wasn’t where Hyejoo belonged.

Completely lost, her feet aching from walking for so long, she turned into a dark alley, resting her back against the wall. Her body was really sore and tired, and Hyejoo sank down, pulling her knees into her chest. This was probably a terrible place to fall asleep, but Hyejoo didn’t care anymore.

What was she even doing here?

-

Jinsol teleported back to the apartment, taking Yerim, along with the three girls the brunette found with them. They all landed in the apartment, which was completely dark inside. Jinsol heard the other girl’s mumble softly as she reached out, feeling the wall for the light switch. 

Junguen must have gone to sleep, Jinsol thought, smiling to herself. She looked around, and everyone was here. Letting out a sigh of relief, she checked her bedroom to see Junguen cuddled up on their bed, sound asleep. 

“Jinsol I’m gonna head to bed if you don’t need anything.” Yerim said, exhaustion etched on her face, walking to her room. The younger girl had been up searching since yesterday morning. Jinsol was proud of her strength.

Curious, she wondered where Hyejoo was. Yves, Chuu, and Gowon stood around where they landed, clearly awkward in their new surroundings. 

“You guys may have to find places to sleep on the couch and floor, sorry we don’t have a lot of space, but this is only temporary. Hyejoo should be around here somewhere.”

“Wait,” Gowon said, her face expressing a range of emotions, “Hyejoo’s here?” 

“Yeah, we freed her from Eden, since  _ you  _ guys left her there for some reason.” Jinsol said, staring and Yves in particular. “Why the fuck would you leave her there alone like that?”

All Yves did was shrug, “she would have snitched on us if she knew.”

Letting out a sigh, Jinsol pinched her brow in frustration. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now, I just have no idea where she is. Just make yourself comfortable on the couch, it might be big enough for the three of you, or at least two.”

Jinsol left, going back to her room to wake up Jungeun. Shaking the younger girl awake was hard, considering how heavy of a sleeper she was, and the girl groaned in protest.

“Jungie, where’s Hyejoo?” Was all she said, causing Junguen to crack open her eyes. “She should be asleep on the couch…”

Junguen sat up suddenly, “Did she leave?”

“I think so, she isn’t here.” Jinsol said, trying her best to stay calm.

“This isn’t good,” Junguen said, standing up in panic, and walking out of the room, Jinsol following. “I’ll get Yerim, we can’t have her out on her own, it isn’t safe.”

Junguen dragged Yerim out of her room and they all went to the living room. 

“Guys, it seems Hyejoo has ran away.” Jinsol said, remembering how Hyejoo lost her composure the moment Jinsol mentioned bringing Yves, Chuu, and Gowon here. She had a feeling of the reason Hyejoo left.

“We’ll find her right away and bring her here. Whatever strain may be on your relationship to each other must be set aside for this mission. I haven’t told you much of the details, but the woman we are up against, Yeojin, is very dangerous and we need all of you to stop her. Now, Yerim, please find Hyejoo.” 

Yerim visibly soured at the mention of Yeojin. Jinsol knew how hard it was for the brunette to go against her former best friend, but they had no choice.

Her right eye glowed a soft purple, and she squeezed her eyes shut in concentration. After a few moments, she opened them, breath quickening.

“Guys… I-I can’t see her.” Yerim said deep between breaths.

-

Hyejoo almost fell asleep when she felt a presence loom over her. Hyejoo didn’t bother looking up, hoping she would be left alone.

“It’s cold tonight, what are you doing out in those clothes?” A deep voice asked. Wanting to ignore this person, all she did was bury her head deep in her knees. The person took a few more steps forward, and stood there for a while. 

Relenting, Hyejoo looked up to see a small woman, bundled in a thick coat and scarf, standing in front of her. Her voice definitely didn’t match her appearance.

“You look like you’ve had a rough night, why don’t you come with me?” The stranger asked, kneeling down so they were eye level. 

Hyejoo just stared. What was the point? She had given up on herself.

What was the point?

“I know how you feel,” she said, grabbing one of Hyejoo’s hands that wrapped around her knees. Hyejoo let her. “I was abandoned too, by who I thought was my family. I want them all to burn too.”

Hyejoo’s eyes widened, “How did you…”

The girl chuckled, “I can see it in your eyes, I see the same exact thing in mine every day.” The girl stood up, pulling Hyejoo with her.

“I’m Yeojin.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your theories and thought 
> 
> Thanks for the support ^^

**Author's Note:**

> ive going through all of loonas videos to make these edits and i have been inspired to write this
> 
> i am making an edit for each member, and I already have kim lips done, link if you want to watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nulXbNNskJs 
> 
> id really appreciate it, im working on heejins now and compiling the footage is a lot of fun, like i forgot how much bbc shipped 2jin in i will be there and my sunday lol
> 
> also comments and kudos are appreciated, thanks :)


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